Indestructible Spirit (Kancolle AU)

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AN: I feel like I'm going to become more of a Kancolle than Madoka author at this rate. :p

In...
Prologue

Skywalker_T-65

Writer with too many ideas.
Location
United States
Pronouns
Plural/They/He/Her
AN: I feel like I'm going to become more of a Kancolle than Madoka author at this rate. :p

In any case, this one was inspired by an idea posted in the fanfic thread by @inquisition. Namely, what if...for some reason or another, Kongou was delayed to the point the Japanese decided to just take the designs, and build the three remaining sisters on their own. Because in this timeline, the Diet only authorized three Armored Cruisers instead of four. This leaves the incomplete Kongou to be bought by the Royal Navy as HMS Indestructible.

And then we have an entirely new history to work with for everyone's favorite British born and raised fast battleship, when she's eventually summoned by the Japanese during the Abyssal War. With that in mind, it's worth noting that:

Indestructible is not Kongou. By which I mean, she won't be the same character. Overall traits- hyperactive, tea obsessed girl who is at the same time serious and caring when needed -will be there. But on the other hand, the experiences are totally different. She won't be quite the same as Kongou. For instance, as came up a bit back, my headcanon now is that Kongou is TEITOKU-sexual because she blew up with two Admirals aboard.

Indestructible did not. So she won't be Admiral-sexual.

That's just one difference...if I continue this, I aim to make more. Such as her rather large dislike for ZE GERMANS. Which is totally understandable, when one considers her experiences- at least to me.
Here's hoping people enjoy this.



Prologue: Indestructible

"We need more ships, sir."

Admiral Daiki Takeda sighed softly, looking up from his paperwork. One of his most brilliant Commanders, a young man named Goto, was sending him a serious look. Takeda put down his pen, to more easily focus on that look, recognizing it as one he himself had leveled at both the Diet and American Admirals. For much the same reason that Goto was giving him it at this very moment, in fact. The Abyssals...there were never enough ships to combat them. They were far reaching, and very dangerous. Trying to defeat them was difficult and required resources that Japan just didn't have. No matter how many of their own warships they summoned back as kanmusu, that point didn't change.

It was why he had tried to convince the Diet and Americans to send more of their kanmusu to help. But he had always gotten the same answer. That the Americans were too busy covering their own shores, and couldn't possibly provide enough to cover Japan as well. This despite the madhouse that was the United States Navy of the Second World War. A navy more than large enough to supply enough kanmusu to cover Japan, at least to some extent. There was nothing he could have done though, and Takeda had resigned himself to making do with what he had.

"I am aware of this," the Admiral finally spoke, his rough voice carrying through the room, "But my answer remains the same. The Diet has made it quite clear we are unable to get more support from our allies."

Goto stubbornly shook his head, "I didn't mean more ships from our allies."

The emphasis the young man put on that last word had Takeda sigh again. Goto wasn't a bigot or ultra-nationalist, the man was just frustrated...they all were.

"Then what are you suggesting?" Takeda interlocked his fingers, looking over his hands at his subordinate.

"We need to summon more of our kanmusu," the younger man replied.

"And who would you suggest we summon? We already have all three of the Hiei sisters, Nagato and her sister, Yamato and hersister..." Takeda listed off the battleships on his finger, "All of our battleships have already been summoned, right down to Fusou and Yamashiro. Our carriers are much the same. Unless you are suggesting we summon our pre-dreadnoughts, we are in no position to summon more kanmusu that would have any real impact on our situation."

"I wasn't suggesting that," Goto shook his head again.

"Then who?"

The young Commander smirked, "Tosa. Her or Amagi."

Takeda just frowned, "Neither of those ships were ever completed. Tosa was closer, but she had not even received her armament."

"Ah, but the Americans summoned Hawaii."

That...that was technically true. That kanmusu was nearly complete when her ship hull had been scrapped though. Even her primary weaponry had been fitted. The same could hardly be said about Tosa or Amagi- the original Amagi, as they had already summoned her successor. Even Tosa, the much further along warship, had only been complete to her main deck. No weapons were ever fitted, before she was expended as a target. Which, in of itself, would make summoning her difficult. Where would her loyalty be, to the country that had not even given her the dignity of being scrapped?

On the other hand...it was hardly something they couldn't do. The chance was slim, very slim, but Japan needed every ship she could muster. In that regard...

"Very well, we can attempt to summon them," Takeda pulled himself to his feet, as Goto practically jumped to his own.

The man had more energy than he knew what to do with, clearly. Takeda couldn't help a small smirk crossing his face at that. Goto reminded him of himself, in his younger days. It was amusing in a way, but for now, reflecting on that could wait. He needed to make some calls, and set up the process to summon a kanmusu once more. It had been some time since Japan had done so...Shimikaze had been the last one they had summoned, and that was two months ago.

Even so, he had some political clout, as the overall commander of the kanmusu. It wouldn't be hard to get the materials and everything set up within the day.

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And, as it turned out, it wasn't difficult. Within a handful of hours, Admiral Takeda was standing in a Shinto Shrine with Goto, and a handful of others. The materials and other set up had already been brought in, and it was just a matter of waiting to see what would happen from that point on. At least, that was the case for the Admiral. He had sat in on many, many summonings. Including the one that had brought back Yamato herself. But he had never had an active role in the proceedings, leaving that task to those...if not trained for it, at least experienced in it.

Frankly, Takeda still didn't fully understand the details of the process.

"This is the first time you've been present for a summoning, correct?" the Admiral turned his head, looking down on the suddenly nervous commander next to him.

"Yes," Goto replied, "Least of all one I suggested."

"They're all the same," Takeda replied easily, before backtracking slightly, "With the exception of Yamato. We did everything in our power to make that one special."

"I can imagine. She is the symbol of our nation, after all."

That she was...but this summoning was nowhere near as extravagant as Yamato's. It was much more similar to the average one for a battleship. More important than a cruiser or lighter ship, but still not as important as the symbol of their nation. Takeda didn't know if that was a good thing or not though. On the one hand, they wouldn't be wasting time and resources if Tosa and Amagi refused to hear the call. On the other hand, they may refuse for exactly that reason...Tosa especially so. The Admiral couldn't claim to understand how the kanmusu felt during their call to arms.

But he could easily imagine that Tosa, cut down as a target instead of being finished or given the dignity of being scrapped and her materials used to help someone, may not be willing to come back easily. He wouldn't even be able to blame her...unable to serve her nation, as anything but a target for her older cousins. That would be more than enough reason to be bitter.

"We're beginning the summoning."

His private doubts aside however, Takeda could do no more than watch as the summoning began.

Darkness...sleep. Peace.

"I am Kongou, first of the Kongou-class battlecruisers! Born in Britain but raised in..."

Stirring...something calling for her.

"You are no longer Kongou. Japan has declined purchasing this hull after the delays in construction proved too long for them."

'What...I...'

"You are now HMS Indestructible of the Royal Navy."

'I am...Indestructible? But my sisters! My...'

Her country abandoned her. She would have served with pride and honor alongside her sisters. But she had been abandoned, left to instead serve the Royal Navy. Why? Was she not good enough? The delay wasn't enough right? Why would she be left alone like this?

"Welcome to the Royal Navy, Indestructible!"

'Thank you Invincible!'

She wasn't alone though. Her...cousins? They were there. They would help her through this, even if she wasn't like them. Indestructible...not Kongou. Perhaps, she could make this work. Even as war approached, she could make this work.

Return...we need your aid.

Indestructible fought alongside her cousins...and indeed, her younger sisters. They weren't the sisters she had believed she would have, but Irresistible and Implacable were every bit her sisters as Hiei and future girls ever would have been. They had all served as best as they could in the Great War. She herself had been at Jutland...seen her mentor Invincible destroyed, along with Queen Mary and Indefatigable. She had fought hard upon seeing that, her crew craving revenge for such horrible losses. Her guns had crippled SMS Seydlitz, very nearly sinking her. But that hadn't been enough to fill the hole in her heart...the hole where her mentor had once been.

But beyond that battle, she did not fight as much in the war. Her actions were always exemplary, but the Germans declined fighting the main force of the Royal Navy. And so, Indestructible spent her time on blockade duty with her sisters. She would only see the Germans in combat one more time at Heligoland Bight. After that, she would never see another German warship, until it came time to escort them to Scapa Flow after the War ended.

Please...return to aid us...

After that, was the long period of peace. Indestructible and her sisters watched as their elder cousins, those who survived the war, were scrapped one by one to keep the politicians happy. Even Tiger, a surrogate younger sister whom Indestructible was rather fond of, didn't escape. In the end, with Courageous, Furious and Glorious all converted to Aircraft Carriers, the only battlecruisers left in the Royal Navy were Indestructible, her sisters, and the newer Renown, Repulse and Hood. Perhaps, even her and her sisters would have been gone as well, were it not for...for the girls who might once have been her sisters.

For when Japan modernized her Hiei-class battlecruisers into fast battleships, the Royal Navy- with ships that were nearly identical -decided the best option was to do the same, and sacrifice three of the Revenge-class battleships instead, to keep to the treaties.

"Well I'll be damned, you might just be as good as me now!"

'I...you're right! I am, aren't I?'

"Renown's right, it's good to see you'll be around a bit longer Indestructible. You've taught me so much, I doubt I can ever repay that debt."

'Ah...Hood...'

"Don't be modest now! It's not like my mentor to be modest!"

Indestructible had cherished those memories...the last happy memories she had with Hood. Her dear friend would be sunk by the Germans...just as her own mentor had been, so long ago. Just as Invincible had been blown apart by her magazines, so too would Hood. Indestructible had cursed the Germans upon the news of that...cursed them as tears brought about by memories of Jutland flashed in front of her. Her spirit cried for the loss of another of her comrades.

But instead of facing the Germans, she would be sent to the Pacific with Prince of Wales, Repulse, and her sisters Irresistible and Implacable. Sent to the Pacific...to reinforce the Dutch and Australians against the Japanese. A direct counter to her...to her estranged sisters, Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima.

Return! We need your aid!

Luckily or unluckily, she would never see her Japanese siblings. Indestructible would instead feel the sharp bite of a torpedo, piercing even her improved armor. A torpedo that doomed her...doomed her to a slow, watery death. Her mind had faded, as the cold water ran over her decks, her crew picked up by her crying sisters. She had felt no anger as she sank though...merely relief she would not have to face the judgmental eyes of her lost siblings. Indestructible had let the cold waters take her, content to sleep.

But now...

'Who is...why am I being called?'

Please, come back to us proud warrior of the ocean!

'I...I will return! Indestructible, British born and raised battleship, will return!'

"...that is not what I expected."

"No, no it is not. That is a Royal Navy uniform."

"But we didn't..."

"No, we didn't. I wonder..."

"She looks like one of our own though, Admiral."

"Indeed..."

HMS Indestructible heard the voices around her, even though she shouldn't have. She didn't hear them through the walls of metal and steel of her old body. She heard them through soft ears, the feeling of equally soft skin resting on the ground rushing through her. She didn't know these feelings...but they felt as natural to her as the feeling of her boilers running through maneuvers. Of her mighty guns firing on targets, at Jutland or elsewhere. Or...of cold water, rushing over her decks as she finally went to rest.

Impossible or not, the old battleship opened her eyes, the brown pools looking at her surroundings. She...had no idea where she was. This wasn't anything she recognized, from the talk of her crews. It wasn't a British naval base. If anything, the wooden walls and paper doors looked surprisingly...Japa...

They weren't speaking English!

Indestructible jumped to her feet, her uniform rustling as she spun around, finally noting who had spoken. Two men, both in unfamiliar uniforms. The uniforms weren't the issue though...both of them were very clearly Japanese. She was with the enemy!

"Calm down, you're among friends," the man in the fancier uniform held his hands up, not a weapon in sight.

"You're not my bloody friends," Indestructible replied, speaking perfect, proper British accented, English.

The man raised an eyebrow at that, switching to heavily accented English of his own, "I...can understand why you would think that. I assure you it wasn't our intention to summon you here...we were trying for Tosa. I'm not quite certain why we summoned a British kanmusu instead."

Kanm...

"Ship Girl?" the battleship blinked, "What are you talking about Admiral?"

Instincts were hard to break, and she automatically acted respectful when asking that question. The moment she had finished speaking though, Indestructible shook her head, and returned to being on edge. She had no idea where she was, other than being in Japan, or how to use her body. But she would run before she let herself be captured. Her best trait was her speed after all!

"That...is a very long story," the Admiral- who else would have such a fancy uniform? -replied slowly, "Suffice to say, we have been summoning Kanmusu for some time, to fight a new enemy that has driven our conventional forces from the sea. The Royal Navy has done the same, so I...am not quite sure why we summoned you instead of them. What is your name, kanmusu?"

Warily watching the man for any signs of hostility, the battleship replied, "HMS Indestructible."

There was silence, shocked silence, as the Japanese men had their jaws drop. Even the Admiral looked flabbergasted, and Indestructible had to hold back a giggle with everything she was worth. Looked like she could do the same to humans that she could to her...to her sisters. What...had they survived the war? She hoped they had. She had been so...so tired...that her thoughts upon sinking hadn't been about her failure to protect Irresistible and Implacable.

Something that was weighing her down now, as she slumped slightly.

"I can't believe it," the younger man spoke up, drawing the battleship from her dark thoughts, "Kongou...we summonedKongou."

A flash of anger went through Indestructible at that name...her old name, "I am not Kongou. My name is Indestructible, because Japan abandoned me. I am a British battleship now."

"Of course," the Admiral spoke soothingly, "I apologize for Commander Goto's words. Now, Indestructible...the war ended decades ago. Japan is an ally of Great Britain and the United States now. I'm sure we can work out a way to get you back home. For now though, if you will follow me, you can stay with our kanmusu until then. I'm sure they can help you adjust to...your new body."

Indestructible was not inclined to trust this man. Japan may not get the anger that Germany did, but on the other hand, they had been enemies. She may not have hated them for sinking her, so long ago.

But she wasn't going to trust them, until she could contact London.
 
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so.... are we going to have one not so happy family reunion later on?
 
This is going to be really unconfortable call to the Royal Navy, especially if their naval command decides to be stubborn.
 
Chapter 1
Well, I'm certainly glad to see the interest this is getting! I'm not even remotely going to claim updates will be as fast as this one is normally though...this is proving very fun to write, and I'm focusing on it this week, as such. I do have others to work on though, so while I may get a couple more chapters done this week if I'm lucky, after that I've got to work on my other fics.

For now though, next chapter.


Chapter 1: New Life
Walking through a Japanese naval base, was something that HMS Indestructible had never once thought she would be doing. Well, walking at all was something she had never thought possible for her. To be walking through a base of her last enemy...of the country that had abandoned her, so long ago, was another story entirely though. She saw nothing but men in unfamiliar uniforms...and girls, their hulls flashing before her eyes before their new bodies. Their unique outfits only slightly drew her attention from that. Being surrounded by the familiar forms of Japanese cruisers and destroyers...it had her more on edge than she would willingly admit.

Which was almost depressing in a way. At one time, these girls would have been her best friends. She would have served with them, and been completely at ease surrounded by them. But that was when she was Kongou. Indestructible had no reason to trust the Japanese, even if she hadn't survived long enough to truly fight them. The last she remembered, they had been enemies. It would take more than the word of even an Admiral to make her forget that. She needed to hear from London. If the Admiralty said that she was allied with Japan, then things could change.

Until then...

"You can relax," the Admiral spoke up, looking out of the corner of his eye.

"No, I can't," Indestructible replied, "No offense Admiral, but I don't trust any of you."

"Understandable," he nodded respectfully, "But you really don't need to worry. We're allies, and if anyone attempted to hurt you I would have them charged for it."

"Hm."

This was perhaps the longest the old battleship had ever been this serious. But there was a time for her normal, very cheerful, personality. In a base surrounded by people she could potentially be attacked by, was not it.

If the Admiral noticed that or not, he didn't show it. Instead, he just shook his head, a bemused look on his aged face.

"I won't tell you what to believe, or who to trust," he said softly, or at least as soft as his rough voice could go, "After all, my nation has given you, in particular, little reason to trust us...Kongou."

She might have snapped at the use of her...her former name. But she could see his use of it for what it was, and instead, just nodded slightly herself. Her cascade of brown hair fell into her face, hiding the old, never forgotten pain.

The Admiral smiled wanly, looking up at the sky, "There may be nothing I can do personally to make up for that. Even so, I hope you can come to trust us as allies, if not friends. For now, I have work to attend to. I'll leave you with..."

"Teitoku?"

Indestructible turned from the Admiral, and instead saw a young- probably only barely into her teens, if not younger -girl standing in front of them. She was a short little thing, dressed in an ill-fitting blue and white...well, what Indestructible assumed was a school uniform. Though the fact the skirt barely covered her thighs and her shirt rode up her stomach, made it hard to believe any school would let someone dress like that.

And, of course, she didn't see a cute schoolgirl alone. The old British ship could see a destroyer...a destroyer of the Fubuki-class, the first truly modern design of their type.

"Hello Fubuki," the Admiral's smile changed to a more warm one, as he looked down on the girl.

First of her class? Like me?

"Hello sir!" the little destroyer snapped to attention, though her green eyes wandered over to Indestructible, instead of focusing on her Admiral.

"I have a favor to ask you, Fubuki."

"Hai?"

The older man nodded at his companion, who had all of the destroyer's attention, "Can you show Indestructible here around the base? Make her feel at home, while I find the time to contact the British."

"Hai!" Fubuki nodded eagerly, any attempts to be 'military precise' ruined by the look of awe on her face.

All the Admiral did was chuckle softly, before turning back to Indestructible, "Fubuki's a good girl, she won't lead you astray. If you need me, just ask. Hopefully I can get a meeting with London set up for tomorrow or the day after."

"That fast?"

"Modern technology," the Admiral just smiled knowingly, before nodding at both girls and setting off to do his work.

Leaving Indestructible alone with a little girl destroyer, who seemed quite enamored with her. Tugging on the long sleeves of her Royal Navy blouse, the old battleship looked down on the smaller ship. Fubuki grinned back up at her, though there was certainly a hint of nervousness on her face. Nervousness that might well be reflected on her own face. She...still wasn't sure how to use this new body, and being this close to one of the more powerful destroyers out there...wasn't exactly comforting. If this were Vampire, maybe, but this was a Japanese girl.

Even so, she couldn't let that get to her.

If she was ever going to work with the Japanese...if they really were allies now...she had to trust them on some level. If that meant working with an awed little destroyer...well, there were worse ways to gain trust. Even if she still didn't feel they deserved that trust, deep down in her soul.

"Can you show me around?" Indestructible asked, making Fubuki blink and shake herself from her staring.

"Of course!" the excitable little girl replied, "Where do you want to go first, Indestructible-san?"

That would have been a valid question, if a finely tuned...instinct? Clock? Hadn't gone off inside the battleship. She knew where she needed to go, at that very moment.

"A kitchen."

"...okay?" Fubuki nodded slowly, before grinning, "I'll take you to Mamiya's then. She has the best food on the base."

Indestructible nodded herself, smoothing down her own shorter-than-expected skirt, as she moved to follow the destroyer.


"Thank you," the old battleship nodded politely, as a woman in a long dress- Mamiya, a resupply ship -served her special order.

"It's my pleasure," Mamiya smiled widely, before tapping her chin, "Though I don't often have to make black tea. I think the only girl who ever orders it is Hiei actually. Then again, we don't have many British girls come through here. I hope you enjoy it!"

Indestructible smiled softly, as the other woman wandered off. The smile was brittle however. For fairly obvious reasons, as she lifted the teacup to her mouth, taking a small sip of the surprisingly well-prepared tea.

Hiei...my sister. She drinks proper English tea? Is that because...because of me?

Setting her cup down, the British battlecruiser-turned-battleship felt wetness on her cheeks. Raising a shaking hand, she rubbed at the wetness, only now realizing she was crying. She had...felt the urge to cry before. When Invincible fell. When Hood was sunk. Both of those times, her soul had cried out in pain. But physical tears...no, she could say she had never felt that before. It was...not a pleasant feeling. Especially not in her current company. While Mamiya's place was empty for the moment, aside from the resupply ship, Indestructible and Fubuki...the latter was looking at her with a worried expression.

It might have been endearing, if the older ship were in any condition to feel that way.

"Are you okay Indestructible-san?" Fubuki asked worriedly, setting her ice-cream down.

"I..." Indestructible shook her head, brown hair flowing around with the movement, "No, not particularly. Do you know who I am, Fubuki?"

"Umm..." the destroyer frowned cutely, clearly deep in thought, "I know I recognize your name. You..."

Green eyes widened, as Fubuki's mouth dropped open.

Indestructible just smiled weakly, "You do know."

"Ha...hai! You're Hiei-san's older sister!" the brown-haired girl shook her head rapidly, clearly in shock, "Is...is that why you're crying?"

The smile fell from the battleship's face, as she looked at her reflection in her tea. Brown eyes, slightly red-rimmed, stared back at her. A very Japanese face stared back at her, framed by dark hair barely held back by her Royal Navy cap. It was going to be a very long time, before she truly got used to this, wasn't it?

"Yes," she answered the destroyer, sighing softly, "Hearing her name...I don't know how to describe it."

Fubuki, recovering somewhat, put a hand on Indestructible's. A warm smile was on her face, as she looked up at the battleship. Who, for her part, felt more confused than anything.

"I know what you mean," the younger girl spoke simply, "I'm the first of my class too, you know. You've never even met Hiei-san, have you?"

"N...no, I haven't. I had my sisters in Britain, Irresistible and Implacable. But I never met my...my other sisters."

"And that's why it was so hard to hear her name?"

That...that was part of it. Fubuki was surprisingly insightful, all things being equal. Her appearance didn't lend much to the idea she could be insightful. Short ponytail, ill-fitting uniform, young age...but, then again, that could be misleading. Indestructible knew that Fubuki was far older than she looked, just as she herself was. Not to mention, she was the first of her class. Arguably the mother of the more modern Japanese destroyers, at the very least. And...well, she had probably been human far longer than Indestructible had been.

There was also the fact the Admiral had specifically picked her out. It had apparently been with good reason, not just because Fubuki was convenient. All that being said, she wasn't entirely correct though. It wasn't just hearing Hiei's name that had made her elder sister...so sad.

As such, Indestructible looked down at her tea again, "Part of it. I may be a British battleship through and through, but I know enough about Japan to know you all don't drink proper tea. That Hiei does...means she's doing it because of me. I know that much."

"Because of you?" Fubuki tilted her head in obvious confusion.

"Because of me," Indestructible nodded, "I'm British and had I...come here, I would have taught my sisters about that. I'm guessing that Hiei drinks our tea, because she knows I do..."

"And she wants to be like you."

The battleship nodded again, once more surprised by how insightful Fubuki could be, "Yes. You're surprisingly good at this."

Fubuki blushed crimson, as she looked down at her ice cream, "Heh heh...not really. It's just, when you look at my sisters they all mimic me, people are getting us confused all the time. Well, other than Murakumo anyway...she's nothing like the rest of us!"

To be totally fair, her sisters...her British sisters...mimicked her as well. Indestructible could see the Fubuki sisters doing the same thing, though enough to get mixed up with their first of class...that was a bit harder to believe. Then again, what did she know. She was still new to this whole 'human' thing.

So, all the woman did was nod again, before returning to sipping her tea. That had been an illuminating conversation, but the last thing she wanted to think about were her sisters. Her sisters on either side of the world, for that matter. She didn't know how meeting Hiei and the others would go...and she had no idea what had happened to Irresistible and Implacable. Had they survived the war? Had they returned like she had? If she could believe anything that the Admiral said, then her adopted homeland had been bringing back their warships as well.

Were her sisters...were they among them? Indestructible would be lying, if she said she didn't want to meet her dear sisters again. Apologize to them, for failing her duty to protect them. Now that she wasn't tired and glad to rest, she felt a gnawing guilt in her stomach, at sinking before her sisters. She had failed in her duty to keep them safe by doing so, and that was eating away at her.

It seems like everything is. Returning like this is sooo complicated! I don't bloody know how to feel.

"How do you live like this..." she sighed softly, setting her empty cup down.

"Huh?" Fubuki blinked her green eyes, looking confused by the question.

Indestructible just smiled and shook her head, "Nothing. Do you know where I'll be staying while your Admiral contacts London?"

The destroyer frowned cutely, "Actually, I don't know Indestructible-san. The battleship dorms are full...well, they will be whenever Hiei-san and her sisters get back from patrol with..."

Fubuki trailed off at that, before a shy look crossed her face.

"Actually, they're patrolling with Yuudachi-chan, who normally stays with me. I don't think she would mind if you stayed in our room. If you want to of course!"

The way that the destroyer girl waved her hands, a blush crossing her face, was...extremely cute. Indestructible smiled despite herself, resisting the urge to hug the flustered girl. It reminded her of when her sisters were younger. Always so easily embarrassed and cute about it.

That being said...

"Thank you, Fubuki," the old battleship nodded slightly, "I think I will take you up on that offer."

She was still uncomfortable in this situation at best. But Fubuki had been nothing but kind, and surprisingly insightful on her issues. Indestructible was thankful for that. Though...she would be lying if she said part of it wasn't because she didn't want to stay in the battleship dorms. Even if there were a room available, she didn't know if she was ready to talk to her sisters. That they were off the base, was something of a relief. Indestructible wanted to...to get used to all of this. Being in Japan. Being human. She needed time, before jumping into talking to girls she had dearly wanted to meet...

But had no idea how to talk to.

"It's no problem Indestructible-san!" Fubuki just smiled at her, jumping to her feet, "Do you want to go now?"

"Yes," Indestructible nodded again.

"Right. Follow me!"

And with that, the little destroyer set off like she wasn't in a human body. Indestructible couldn't, despite everything, hold back a giggle at the sight. If Fubuki heard that though, she didn't give any sign of it. Except for maybe a slight skip in her step.

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"I know it's not much..."

"It's fine, Fubuki. Compared to my old hull, this is quite fancy actually."

A small giggle came from the destroyer, as she moved to sit on her bed. For her part, Indestructible looked around at the room. The destroyer-girl was right about one thing, and that was that this room wasn't the largest in the world by any definition. But, that didn't really matter. She could sleep in the hallway, if it came down to it. So long as she wasn't in a prison cell, something that the battleship still half-expected considering her history with the Japanese, she could make anything work. Frankly, this room may have been small, but at least it looked comfortable.

A pair of beds, some small dressers and a larger desk...it was basically, an average room on almost every level.

Well, aside from the various personal objects scattered around. But Indestructible was a proper British lady, and would not go digging through such things. That was impolite, especially as a guest- even if she didn't necessarily trust her hostess.

"Umm..." the destroyer spoke up softly, "Are you...fine with a futon? I would let you use Yuudachi-chan's bed, but she can get kinda scary when someone messes with her things..."

Indestructible just waved a hand, "I'm alright with that, yes."

"Okay!" Fubuki grinned at her, turning to lay down on her own bed, "Good night, Indestructible-san."

"Goodnight."

With that, the destroyer girl turned on her side, soon to fall fast asleep.

Indestructible envied her that. For she simply lay on her futon, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep would not come easily to her, not at all. For all that her thoughts on Fubuki acting like her sisters had amused her, it also brought up old memories. Of happier days, when her and her sisters sailed together. When Invincible or Hood were still alive. Happier days...

"Come on sis! Can your crew keep up?"

"Don't be hard on her Irresistible, she is older."

Indestructible would have glared at Hood, if she could, "Old?"

"Well, it's the truth."

"No tea time for you today!"

"I can't even drink tea!"

"It's the principle."

If nothing else, the giggles from her younger sister had Indestructible feeling better about the situation. Sure, Hood had just called her old. But hey, if her sister was happy, then it didn't matter. The younger battlecruiser- still a cruiser, not a fast battleship like she herself now was -had a mischievous streak. But if it were harmless fun, there wasn't anything wrong with it. And she could give as good as she got!

"You're just jealous that you needed a refit to keep up with me," Hood continued, sending the distinct impression of a smug look.

"Speed isn't everything dear," Indestructible replied, "My crew can outshoot yours any day."

"My guns are better."

The older ship snorted, "No, they aren't. Bigger isn't better either."

Implacable, trailing in the formation, sighed softly, "You two always act like this..."

"It's fun!" Indestructible replied, allowing herself a pouty tone.

"What she said," Hood agreed, "In any case, I do still acknowledge I have a lot to learn."

"That you do. Can't have you losing in your first combat mission..."

Losing in your first combat mission...


AN: Balancing personalities here is...interesting. Indestructible is Kongou, deep down. But she's not in a situation where the more (in)famous bits- sans being Admiral-sexual, which won't happen -can come through. And Fubuki...the way I'm looking at it, she's been around for months now, and has the resulting experience. Remember, it's been two months alone since the last summoning before Indestructible. That's plenty of time for Fubuki- who has her sisters -to mature somewhat.

Basically, one of the few things the anime did right (IMO) was some of the character relationships. Kongou and Fubuki, most certainly. I was trying to call back to that here, but with Fubuki the one who's experienced in being a kanmusu, and on top of that, one who has the experiences needed to work with what was eating up our resident British battleship.

Hopefully that worked properly.
 
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Hmm, I rather like the interactions between Fubuki and Indy.

Also interesting that ships can talk to each other when they're still ships.

Looking forward to the next installment!
 
AN: Balancing personalities here is...interesting. Indestructible is Kongou, deep down. But she's not in a situation where the more (in)famous bits- sans being Admiral-sexual, which won't happen -can come through. And Fubuki...the way I'm looking at it, she's been around for months now, and has the resulting experience. Remember, it's been two months alone since the last summoning before Indestructible. That's plenty of time for Fubuki- who has her sisters -to mature somewhat.

Basically, one of the few things the anime did right (IMO) was some of the character relationships. Kongou and Fubuki, most certainly. I was trying to call back to that here, but with Fubuki the one who's experienced in being a kanmusu, and on top of that, one who has the experiences needed to work with what was eating up our resident British battleship.

Hopefully that worked properly.
Well...yeah,I would agree that Fubuki and Kongou's interactions/relationship was one of the better parts of the anime. And this chapter was pretty decent, makes me wonder how things might go. And if we'll get to see Fubuki interacting with all of her sisters at some point.
 
Chapter 2
Chapter 2: New Experiences
"You should be connected with London in a few minutes sir."

"Thank you."

Admiral Takeda sighed softly, tugging on the brim of his cap. It hadn't exactly been his intention to contact the British without the reason for this message being present...but Indestructible was apparently asleep in Fubuki's room. He knew the way most girls felt after their summoning very well by now...she needed that sleep. And in any event, it would be easier to talk to the British Admiralty alone as well. There was less risk of Indestructible doing something to make the proceedings more difficult. Not that he thought that would happen...but Takeda had not reached his position by not being cautious on occasion.

At this point, it was better to be safe than sorry.

I feel like I'm walking on a minefield with her, even more than some of our kanmusu. One wrong move, and any trust we've built will be gone. And she has every reason to be that distrustful.

He couldn't blame the Imperial government for what they had done. Kongou was delayed to the point where it had become more economical to just sell her to the British and replace her with the hull order that would eventually become Kirishima. The Hiei-class had served every bit as well as a hypothetical Kongou-class would have. And that should have been the end of it. But with the Abyssals...with the kanmusu...nothing was ever that simple. Now, he had to face a girl who had every right to feel betrayed and abandoned by her country. Or, rather, what might have been her country...by all indications, Indestructible was even more British than Ro-500 was 'Japanese'.

It was not an envious situation to be placed in.

"We're connected now."

Takeda nodded slightly, as the large screen in front of him changed from its blank state. Instead, it now showed an office much like his own, albeit furnished differently. And just as the office was similar-yet-different, so to was the man sitting in it. His uniform clearly marked him as the same rank, much as Takeda would have expected.

After all, he did know this man.

"Hello, Admiral Takeda," the other man said.

"Good to see you, Admiral Smith," Takeda replied.

The other man nodded, before a weary smile crossed his face, "Now that formalities are out of the way, how are you, Daiki?"

"Well enough Blake. However, this isn't a social call."

"With how late it is there, I doubted it was," Smith shook his head, "So, what is it this time? You know I can't send any of my girls to help you."

Takeda sighed, "That isn't what I'm calling for. Are you alone?"

Smith raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder. A single girl stepped into view, dressed in an old-fashioned Royal Navy uniform. Where Indestructible wore a modern-ish World War II uniform, this girl wore one more at place at Trafalgar. Her long blonde hair was tied back, covered by an officer's hat, also much more at place in the Age of Sail. Understandably...Takeda more than recognized the girl. He was quite familiar with her, actually. Anyone who knew the Royal Navy kanmusu corps was.

HMS Hood was just as famous now, if not more so, than she had always been.

"Hood here is the only person with me," Smith replied, "So, is something wrong enough that you don't want anyone but us to know?"

"Not...wrong," Takeda replied, "Difficult, would be the word I chose. Have you summoned every kanmusu from the Second War era?"

The Admiral shook his head, "Of course not, we may not have been the Americans, but we had a lot of warships at the time. We've summoned most of our battleships though...the most prominent one still missing is Indestructible. Her sisters, or at least Irresistible, are constantly begging me to summon her."

"I...see."

"You're not telling me something," the British man narrowed his eyes, "Why are you asking me that question Daiki?"

"We made an attempt to do what the Americans did with Hawaii, and summon Tosa or the original Amagi," the other Admiral replied softly, "That didn't work as planned."

And wasn't that an understatement. Summoning an angry and betrayed feeling Tosa or a crippled Amagi might have been better than what had happened. At least in that case, they would have been unequivocally been Japanese. There would have been none of the issues they were currently dealing with. Issues that he was loathe to bring up, with such a good friend as Admiral Smith. Especially, considering Takeda himself believed that they had long ago forfeited any right to say what Indestructible should do. Japan had given that right away, when they abandoned Kongou.

Convincing his government of that...

"Did your summoning fail?" Smith broke back into the conversation, "I can't imagine that would be enough reason to call me. Especially since you know we can't spare any girls to help you."

"The summoning was a success...but it wasn't Tosa nor Amagi we summoned," Takeda brought up a picture of who they had summoned.

Smith's eyes widened noticeably, though it was nothing on Hood. The normally stoic battlecruiser held a hand to her mouth, a shocked little gasp escaping her lips. Her hand was even trembling slightly, green eyes staring at the picture.

"As you can see, it didn't fail. However..."

It would not be Smith who spoke this time. Hood, shaking her head slightly, looked almost in shock.

"She looks just like Irresistible and Implacable..."

"Other than her Japanese features," Smith nodded, turning his full attention on Takeda, "By this, I have to assume you summoned Indestructible?"

The Japanese man sighed softly, "Yes. We're still not sure how. It was certainly not my intention, and I personally oversaw the summoning. How we summoned her instead of Tosa is a mystery."

Before either man could continue discussing the subject, Hood spun on her heel and started marching to the door that Takeda could see behind his old friend's chair. The man in question turned around, watching his fleet commander go. There was a resigned slump to his shoulders, as Hood stopped only long enough to look back over her shoulder. There was a slight wetness to her stoic eyes, as she looked back one more time at the picture of Indestructible.

"I'm going to let her sisters know."

And before Takeda could say anything about attempting to keep this situation 'under wraps' as the Americans would say, the battlecruiser was gone. For his part, Smith sighed and shook his head fondly, before turning back to the screen.

"I expected that," he said, "Honestly, I'm amazed she's as calm as she is. The moment I realized who you had summoned...well, Hood has a special place in her heart for that girl, moreso than even Bismarck."

"And you won't stop her Blake?" Takeda resigned himself to hearing an expected answer.

He got it, Smith snorting softly, "Believe me Daiki, Hood's bravery is matched only by her stubbornness. And as their names can imply, those two girls she's going to talk to are even worse. I couldn't keep this a secret from them even if I wanted to."

Here, the man leveled a serious stare on his friend, before continuing to speak in a harder tone.

"And the fact you don't want them to know doesn't ring right with me. What are you hiding Daiki?"

And there it was, the problem that Takeda had been loathe to discuss.

"Our government is desperate Blake," the Japanese man began, "We barely have enough kanmusu to properly cover our shores and Okinawa. Securing our supply lanes is stretching our resources thin, and America continues to refuse to send reinforcements. We're running ourselves dry."

"And I wish we could help with that," Smith replied, narrowing his eyes slightly, "That being said, you had better not be about to say what I think you are."

Takeda sighed, "Our government wants to keep Indestructible here."

"Never going to happen."

Smith's voice was hard, the Admiral Glare leveled on his old friend. Takeda just sighed again, unable to blame him for that reaction in the slightest. It was much the same as his own, when the Diet had told him to keep Indestructible in Japan. He knew, better than anyone, how that idea would go over. How it would go over on both sides of the world, at that. He knew because it was how he would feel. How he did feel. Indestructible shouldn't be forced to stay in Japan. Forcing her to stay in a nation she already felt betrayed her...

How would anyone react to that? She didn't need to be put through that. It wasn't just his fondness for all the kanmusu talking there either. If anyone deserved to just go home, it was that battleship. Irregardless of the Hiei sisters being in Japan, Indestructible belonged in Britain.

"I know," as such, Takeda sent a weary look at his British friend, "I know."

"I'm not sure you do, Daiki," Smith countered, "What if Yukikaze had been summoned by Taiwan? Or Hibiki by Russia? If they tried to keep those girls because of their own lacking numbers, your government would rightfully be raising bloody hell over it. So what gives them the right to keep Indestructible there? Need I remind you..."

"That Japan abandoned her in the first place?" Takeda finished his friend's sentence, "You don't need to tell me that, old friend. I agree with you, on this and many other matters. Indestructible being kept here would be bad on many different levels. However, I can't tell the Diet what to do. It is very likely that our government will contact your Prime Minister..."

The British Admiral snorted softly, "Good luck with that. Even if the PM allowed it, which he won't, Indestructible wouldn't be there for long. If she is anything like her sisters and Hood, she'll sail back here even if she has to fight her way out. Not to mention, I can guarantee you that her sisters will be heading to Japan in much the same way. And nothing you can do will keep them from bringing her back."

Now, Takeda might have joked about Smith being unable to keep his kanmusu under control, in better circumstances. At the moment, he knew that his friend wasn't joking in the slightest though. In all likelihood, he would order the Indestructible sisters to go to Japan and recover their lost sibling.

"Believe me old friend," the Japanese Admiral finally spoke again, voice tired, "I will do everything in my power to ensure she can return. If you need to send her sisters here, I won't do anything to stop it. Perhaps meeting her sisters will make it easier on Hiei in any case."

"We'll see. I'll call you again tomorrow, Daiki. For now, I need to find Hood and let the PM know," Smith sent a small smile at his old friend, "And thank you, at least for letting me know about this. We were worried about Indestructible...it's good to know she did come back, even if in the wrong country."

With that said, the screen went blank again, leaving a tired old Admiral to pull himself to his feet. He would talk to Indestructible tomorrow as well, and make sure she knew he was doing everything he could to get her home. At least Hiei and her sisters were on patrol for the moment. He could only imagine how much damage they would do. Unintentional damage, perhaps, as those girls didn't have a mean bone in their bodies.

But they didn't need to meet their sister, not until she had adjusted to her situation.


"Are you awake, Indestructible-san?"

"Yes."

Shifting slightly, the old battleship lifted her head from the futon she had spent the night in. Tired rings were around her eyes, the lack of proper sleep rather evident from that. Perhaps noticing that, Fubuki smiled sadly. The destroyer girl was already in her uniform, as she sat down next to her much larger counterpart. Her sad smile faded into an understanding look, as she looked at the other girl. Who, for her part, just sighed softly.

"Problems sleeping?" Fubuki asked.

"..."

The destroyer leaned back, looking at the ceiling, "Well, I hope you have a better day today. Do you want to come to the training with me?"

Indestructible turned her head, "Training?"

"Hai!" the younger girl grinned, "When we're on base, most of us keep training. There's always more to learn. You've never even been in the water, have you?"

"No, I haven't," Indestructible frowned, "How exactly do you...fight like this?"

"Umm...it's kind of hard to explain. We have rigging, that's like our old hulls. When we summon it, we're more like ships than girls. It's easier to use on the water though. You should be able to do it on instinct even!"

The battleship blinked, before looking down on her new body. Her hands clenched in her thin blanket, clutching at it. It felt odd enough being able to do that. The idea of summoning something like her old hull...how did that even work? She couldn't imagine fighting in this body, that seemed...impossible. Granted, just being like this felt impossible, and Fubuki seemed confident enough. It still boggled the mind though, the idea that she could use something like her old hull in this body, and fight like that.

And, of course, there was another issue to be had...

I don't feel comfortable, being around them with weapons. I don't trust these girls, or their leadership.

To her, despite Fubuki and the Admiral's actions, Japan was still an enemy. The idea of sailing- somehow -in close proximity to who knew how many warships with their weapons armed...didn't exactly appeal to her, overly much. For all that the Admiral said he would punish anyone who so much as looked at her wrong, it didn't make her any happier at the idea.

"...do you not want to train with us?"

Unfortunately, Fubuki's pouty face was quite effective. Large green eyes stared up at her imploringly, her lip quivering slightly. Indestructible's 'older sister' instincts reared their head in full force, as she resisted the urge to hug the girl.

"Fine, I'll train with you."

"Thank you!" Fubuki had no such restraints, throwing her arms around the battleship, "It's been a long time since we've had someone new to train with!"

There was something in the girl's tone, that had the battleship raising a curious eyebrow, "What do you mean, Fubuki?"

"Um...it's a long story, Indestructible-san..." the girl trailed off, before waving her hands in front of her when she saw the look on the battleship's face, "But I can explain! We...haven't had any new girls in a long time. It's been a couple months since Shimikaze-chan arrived, and you're the first since then. It's...been hard on us."

Indestructible frowned, noting the sad tone in her...guide's...voice, "I know your navy wasn't the largest, but surely you still have..."

"We do," Fubuki replied with a sad smile, "But you're the first new girl in a long time still. I'm sorry...it's just a lot to think about. Can we go to the training?"

Clearly, she was uncomfortable talking about that. Indestructible...couldn't say she understood. But she did understand having uncomfortable things she didn't want to talk about. She had her own, so she wasn't going to push Fubuki. She was still very uncomfortable going to this training, but if nothing else, it could be a chance to get some information.

I still don't know what to believe, or if Japan's our ally. Maybe I can find out how their girls train, and use that if we have to fight?

Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, but as she had taught Hood, so long ago...always be prepared!

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"I was so not bloody prepared for this..."

Indestructible looked out at the harbor, a thoroughly bemused expression on her face. A group of little destroyer girls- four of them looked even younger than Fubuki! -were practically surfing across the waves, giggling at each other as they did so. A pair of light cruisers were trying to coral them, but it was a losing battle. Even she could see that, and she wasn't exactly experienced in dealing with girls like this.

"Close formation!" the shorter haired cruiser called out, water spray flinging up near her short orange skirt, "You can do better than this girls!"

"Hai!" Fubuki at least was taking it seriously, doing her utmost to stay in some semblance of formation with a younger-looking white haired destroyer.

"Don't be so hard on them Sendai," for her part, the longer haired cruiser spoke softly, looking at her...sister?

"We're here to train them Jintsuu," Sendai shot back, a fierce grin on her young face, "Ya know?"

Jintsuu sighed softly, "I know."

"Speaking of training...you here for that too?" at that, Sendai turned to flash her grin at Indestructible.

Who blinked, and nodded shortly, "Yes."

"Great! Get in the water then, and I'll show you how to ni..."

"It isn't a night battle, Onee-san."

Sendai grumbled at her sister, before turning back to running herd on the destroyers. Jintsuu sent an apologetic look at Indestructible, before sailing over to where the battleship stood on the pier. The long-haired cruiser smiled up at her older counterpart, holding a dainty hand out for the British girl to take. Indestructible hesitantly reached out, on edge for any potential tricks. There wouldn't be any however, as the light cruiser gently pulled her much heavier counterpart into the water.

Indestructible half-expected to sink like a rock, once she was in the water, no matter what the other girls were doing. However, the moment her feet- and her shoes, perhaps more importantly -touched the water, she started to float on the surface. Wide brown eyes looked down, as she experimentally kicked her foot. Water sprayed into the air like her drive shaft had pushed her old propeller, making her flinch back and a soft, almost silent, giggle come from Jintsuu.

Kind eyes turned onto the confused battleship, as the cruiser let go of her hand, pulling away slightly.

"Is this your first time in the water...?" the unasked question was obvious, in hindsight.

"HMS Indestructible," the battleship answered, looking down at her feet instead of at the other girl, "I...just came back yesterday. I've never been in the water like this before."

Jintsuu just smiled again, "It's like that for everyone. Follow me, I can show you how to sail. Do you know how to summon your rigging, Indestructible-san?"

"No..." the British girl replied, before looking down at her hands, "Fubuki said it would be instinctual..."

"Indestructible-san?" the cruiser noted that the other girl hadn't been talking to her.

And wasn't looking up at the question, for that matter. Indestructible took a deep breath, shutting her eyes and trying to avoid focusing on her situation...floating in a way she shouldn't. Instead, she focused on her old hull. The feeling of steel and wood, swaying in the waves underneath her. The bustle of men working their posts, training her weapons on targets. Focused on the memories of Jutland, of dueling SMS Seydlitz after Invincible sank. On the memories of her mighty guns firing at distant...

"You did it!" Jintsuu's soft voice broke in, as Indestructible felt...

Well, felt the sudden weight of her old hull on her back. Turning her head, the battleships brown eyes widened, as her equally brown hair moved out of the way. Hanging from her back, was a curved piece of wood and metal, in the form of her old hull. The old paint scheme was even there, as she ran a hand along a miniature version of her old A-turret. Fourteen inch guns shined dully in the sunlight, as her shocked gaze reflected off the water.

Seeing the 'rigging' on the other girls was one thing. Seeing and feeling her old hull...now that was another thing entirely.

"I did," she finally whispered, shaking her head slightly, "Right, how exactly do I use this...Jintsuu?"

The cruiser just smiled demurely, "Follow me, Indestructible-san. The targets here are set up for the destroyers...we need you on the battleship range."

Indestructible nodded, pushing her...boilers...to follow along with the light cruiser. All her attention was on moving however, so she failed to notice a blonde destroyer joining the others, curious red eyes following along with her.



"Yuudachi-chan!"

"Fubuki-chan! Who was that battleship, poi?"

The blonde destroyer, returned from her patrol, looked in the direction she had seen a brown haired kanmusu go. She hadn't recognized the girl, like, she was new. Very new, since Yuudachi thought she had already known all the battleships. She was just with the Hiei sisters after all!

"That was Indestructible-san," Fubuki answered with a happy smile, "I've been showing her around, since the Admiral asked me to! She's really nice, but a bit overwhelmed by everything. I'm glad Jintsuu-san is showing her how to use her rigging."

Yuudachi's eyebrow went up, a questioning look in her red eyes, "Indestructible? Isn't that, like, a British name?"

"Yes," her friend nodded, "Admiral said he wasn't sure how she was summoned here, but he's trying to get her home. I think it's because she's Hiei-san's older sister."

"Hiei-san's..." the taller destroyer blinked slowly, "I didn't know she had an onee-san, poi!"

On the other hand, if her older sister was British, that was probably why. Yuudachi wasn't like her friend, and didn't really look at other navies. If she had, she might have known something this important! And if Indestructible-san had just now been summoned, that meant she probably hadn't met her sisters yet. They might not even know she was here! Yuudachi wondered how they would feel, when they did find out. She knew if Shiratsuyu or Shigure had come back and she hadn't been told at the time, she would have been soooo mad.

Like, seriously. If Indestructible was their sister, they should know she was here!

"I don't think she likes thinking about it," Fubuki spoke softly, as the two girls maneuvered around practice rounds from Sendai and Hibiki, "she seems really sad whenever Hiei-san was mentioned."

"But, they're her sisters, poi!" Yuudachi protested, the idea of being sad at having her sisters rather...hard to believe.

"Yeah, but she has her British sisters too. I don't think Indestructible-san knows how to act around Hiei-san and the others."

A frown crossed Yuudachi's face, "But wouldn't she want to meet them?"

"I think she does, but doesn't know how to talk to them," her friend sighed softly, "I'm so sorry for her...I can't imagine what Indestructible-san feels like."

Neither can I, poi! But I wouldn't want my sisters to not know I was here. I need to go back to Hiei-san, and let her know!

Decision made, Yuudachi let a cocky grin cross her face, as she jumped in front of Fubuki. She wouldn't let her friend do better at training than her, even considering the situation!

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

It was a tired destroyer who left the training area, sometime later that day. Waving goodbye at Fubuki, who ran towards the battleship training grounds, Yuudachi squared her shoulders and marched off in the direction of the battleship dorms. Hiei-san had said she and her sisters would be there, if she needed anything. Something about wanting to rest after a long patrol. It made them easier to find at least, and right now, she needed that. Because Yuudachi wanted them to know about their sister, for sure! They needed to know, since they might not have ever met their sister, if what Fubuki had said was true, poi!

And she couldn't imagine what that felt like, having always had her sisters with her, until she had sunk at the Solomon Islands during the war. And even after the war, her elder sisters like Shigure had always been there when she needed them. So, yeah, Yuudachi couldn't imagine what Hiei and her sisters felt like, not having Indestructible around.

It was why she was heading here, even though Fubuki had said it was better to wait.

I don't want to wait, poi. Hiei-san needs to know her sister is here!

"Hey Yuudachi-chan," Mutsu was the first battleship to notice her though, as she sat outside the building, reading some book.

"Hey Mutsu-san!" Yuudachi waved at the larger woman, "Have you seen Hiei-san?"

The battleship tapped her chin, a sly grin on her face, "Why are you asking?"

"Mutsu-saaaannn..." the blonde pouted, used to the elder girls sense of humor by now.

A giggle answered that, as Mutsu put her book down, "Sorry, sorry. If you're looking for her, Hiei is with her sisters in their dorm. Something about planning a new meal."

Yuudachi couldn't help a shiver, "Oh no, poi..."

Even the Nightmare of Solomon shuddered at the idea of Hiei-san's cooking.

"Yup," Mutsu just smiled again, with a rueful headshake for good measure, "Good luck, Yuudachi-chan!"

Waving at the battleship, Yuudachi squared her shoulders, and marched into the dorm. She could survive this, and she needed to let the older girls know their sister was here! Looking at it that way, she could go through any number of Hiei's dishes. This was too important to wait or put off, because of a little worry about food! Right, with that in mind, it was a lot easier to focus. Focus, as the blonde little destroyer walked past the various battleship dorms, intent on one in particular. The one claimed by the Hiei sisters, who tended to sleep together, despite the fact they could have double rooms instead.

Though, there were only three of them...they might not want one of them to be alone or with someone else. Regardless of the reason, it wasn't that hard and didn't take that long to reach their room. There was the sound of the familiar voices behind the door, getting a smile from the destroyer girl. She had enjoyed her patrol with the Hiei sisters, and it was nice to see them again so soon! No matter the reason.

"Hiei-san?" Yuudachi knocked on the door.

"Come on in Yuudachi-chan!" the familiar voice called out, as a softly smiling Haruna opened the door for her sister.

"Nice to see you again," Haruna's smile widened ever so slightly, as she moved aside to let the destroyer in.

Yuudachi just grinned, "Nice to see you too Haruna-san!"

"So why are you here, Yuudachi-chan?" Hiei broke in, standing over a suspiciously smoking pot.

"I met a new girl at training today," the destroyer answered, "A British girl, poi!"

The lead battleship of her class turned at that, food forgotten, "A British girl? Who was it?"

"Indestructible-san!"

Perhaps because of the normal high-energy of these girls, even Haruna, the sudden silence was almost spooky. Yuudachi awkwardly looked at the Hiei sisters, who all wore the same identical look of shock on their faces. A look that only lasted as long as it took their eldest sister to process what had been said, before she let out a rather high-pitched noise, and bolted for the door, her sisters quick to follow.

"Onee-sama!"

Leaving behind a confused Yuudachi, who let out a plaintive, "Poi?"
 
I'm very much looking forward to the inevitable clash of personalities this is going to lead to.
 
I'm very much looking forward to the inevitable clash of personalities this is going to lead to.
And that's nothing compared with the clash that will happen once the entire family is together, including the Royal Navy sisters, because Irresistible and Implacable are not exactly names that remind me of civilized chats while drinking tea.
 
this is going to be one hell of a reunion....
er...
*pulls out a super size popcorn bucket and a gallon of soda.*

time to sit back and watch the drama unfolds.... behind some laminated armor....
 
First, a great chapter - good characterizations all around, from the lovable kanmasu to the idiotic politicians.

I do wonder what will actually happen?

Will Indestructible simply set sail for England?

Will Irresistable and Implacable join her first, then set sail?

Will her Japanese sisters insist that they escort her safely out of Japanese waters?
Or all the way?

Or, perhaps, will the entire group simply sail up to Tokyo Bay, where the Diet building is conveniently within range of their main batteries, to... err... lobby for a change of decision?
 
Get ready for the inevitable wreck, catfights and drama!
 
I wonder, has Hiei, Kirishima, and Haruna met Irresistible and Implacable? Probably not, given the circumstances, but I bet they have considered the issue. Their all technically sisters, if estranged ones, in this verse and that familial connection would at least stoke their curiosity. Kongou/Indestructible's situation may very well act as a catalyst for that kind of family reunion.
 
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First, a great chapter - good characterizations all around, from the lovable kanmasu to the idiotic politicians.

I do wonder what will actually happen?

Will Indestructible simply set sail for England?

Will Irresistable and Implacable join her first, then set sail?

Will her Japanese sisters insist that they escort her safely out of Japanese waters?
Or all the way?

Or, perhaps, will the entire group simply sail up to Tokyo Bay, where the Diet building is conveniently within range of their main batteries, to... err... lobby for a change of decision

To be fair, i'd imagine the situation for Japan would be pretty bad since they rely only on shipping to get vital materials. Britain is at least close to the continent and has things like the tunnel. Press ganging ships is a fairly common practice, though a lot more morally grey when the ship has feelings.

As far as Japan keeping Kongo goes, Japan does own a fairly substantial part of Britains national debt. They could just offer to forgive a few billion of it and there's almost no chance that the British government would turn it down.
 
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